The May-June 2025 issue of Catholic Herald magazine has been published. The theme for this issue is Catholic faith and mental health. The digital edition of the magazine is available at https://catholicmagazines.org/magazine-archive/catholic-herald/sac0525.
In the cover story, Amy Diamantine, mental health director of Northern Valley Catholic Social Service (NVCSS) in Redding and a licensed marriage and family therapist, sees firsthand the effects of harmful emotional, psychological and societal influences that chip at mental wellness. County contracts in Butte, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties permit NVCSS to "serve the underserved," she notes, and help mitigate mental health concerns with counseling, therapy and specialized services, fostering resiliency and restoring hope. Heather Cahn, a licensed marriage and family therapist for NVCSS in Shasta County, notes that "the whole world changed after COVID-19." Remote, Zoom-based activities and learning, along with telehealth, all changed the way people access and view health today, she says.
Other stories in this issue include Bishop Jaime Soto's column on "A sense of humor is good for our spiritual and physical health"; a feature on how Deacon Ed Shoener of the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, shares from personal experience in providing resources for mental health ministry; an interview with Capuchin Father Danvid Songy, a clinical psychologist, where he notes that the same stressors that affect parishioners can also be present in the life of a priest -- such as anxiety, loneliness, compassion-fatigue and the demands of routinely re-establishing oneself in a new community -- and may wear down a priest's well-being; a feature on how the Promotores model offered by NVCSS in the cities of Chico, Biggs, Gridley, Oroville and Paradise, empowers marginalized populations by fostering awareness and acceptance of mental health as a fundamental part of overall well-being, resilience and success; and an interview with Greg Gisla, chief clinical officer for Sierra Health + Wellness, he offers a professional perspective on the whole-life impact of addiction and mental health conditions.
Bishop Jaime Soto is the publisher of Catholic Herald magazine, which is published six times each year and includes moving faith stories about Catholics in the diocese, as well as news and events of the local church. Individual faith stories are the cornerstone of the magazine and columns also explore the Catholic faith and education about church teachings. To donate $15 per year to receive Catholic Herald magazine, call 916-733-0266. To view the archive of past issues of Catholic Herald magazine, visit https://www.scd.org/catholicherald